Sliding device

ABSTRACT

A sliding device provides a binding-free apparatus suitable for trick and other riding on snow, sand, ice and other surfaces. An elongated deck to support the rider is elevated from and attached to an elongated runner, which provides a surface that slides on the snow, sand, etc. The runner may be made more narrow than the deck to provide leverage for the rider to tilt the device onto an edge of the runner to steer the device. The device may not have any defined front or back portion and thus be adapted for riding in either direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to sliding devices for use on snow, ice,sand or other surfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There has been a desire amongst snowsports enthusiasts to performtricks similar to those performed with a typical skateboard. Forexample, snowboards have been used to perform skateboard-type tricks,such as half pipe and quarter pipe maneuvers and the like. Bindingsfixed in place on the snowboard secure the rider's feet so that therider can maneuver the board, e.g., tilt the board on edge to execute aturn. However, the bindings prevent the rider from freely moving his orher feet on the board, which in turn prevents the rider from performingsome tricks, such as those common among skateboard riders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In an illustrative embodiment, a sliding device in accordancewith the invention provides a rider with the ability to performskateboard-like tricks on snow, sand, ice, metal, plastic or othersliding surfaces. For example, the sliding device in one illustrativeembodiment may have a runner having first and second upturned ends and amiddle portion between the upturned ends. A deck, having an uppersurface for supporting a rider, may be elevated from and attached to therunner by a spacer. The spacer is secured to the runner at a runnerattachment position and secured to the deck at a deck attachmentposition so that forces applied by a rider on the deck are transmittedto the runner, and so that a portion of the deck near the deckattachment position is not free to pivot about a longitudinal axisrelative to a portion of the runner at the runner attachment position.The runner and the deck are constructed and arranged to allow ridingwith both the first upturned end of the runner forward and the secondupturned end of the runner forward.

[0004] In another illustrative embodiment, the deck, runner and/or aspacer may be arranged so that at least a portion of either the deck orthe runner can move longitudinally relative to the other. Thus, a rigidattachment between the deck and runner may be maintained to preventrelative pivoting of the deck and runner (at least about a longitudinalaxis), while allowing longitudinal movement, e.g., sliding, of onerelative to the other. This feature may allow adjustment of one or morespacers used to interconnect the deck and runner, provide for shockdampening in the spacer or other element, or provide the runner withgreater flexibility since it is not necessarily prevented fromlongitudinal sliding by the deck.

[0005] In another illustrative embodiment, the sliding device has arunner having at least one upturned end, a middle portion and a lowersurface, and a deck elevated from the runner and having an upper surfacethat supports a rider. A spacer is secured to the runner at a runnerattachment position and secured to the deck at a deck attachmentposition so that forces applied by a rider on the deck are transmittedto the runner. In one illustrative embodiment, a minimum spacing betweenthe upper surface of the deck and a lower surface of the runner isapproximately 1 to 8.375 inches, or more preferably approximately 1.75to 4 inches. In another illustrative embodiment, a ratio of the width ofthe runner to the width of the deck is approximately 0.4 to 0.8, or morepreferably approximately 0.45 to 0.6. In another illustrativeembodiment, an angle between a plane parallel to the lower surface ofthe runner and a line extending between a lower edge of the runner and alateral edge of the deck is approximately 30 and 70 degrees. In anotherillustrative embodiment, first and second spacers secure the runner andthe deck together, and the first spacer is positioned at approximatelyone-fifth to one-half the length of the runner from a first end of therunner and the second spacer is positioned at approximately one-fifth toone-half the length of the runner from a second end of the runner.

[0006] Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the detaileddescription below and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described withreference to the following drawings, in which like reference numeralsreference like elements, and wherein:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of theinvention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a side view of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment along the line4-4 in FIG. 3;

[0012]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 embodiment; and

[0013]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an attachment arrangement between arunner and a spacer in an illustrative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Illustrative embodiments of the invention provide a slidingdevice that may be ridden by standing on the deck in much the same wayas a typical skateboard. Although for clarity and ease of reference asliding device in accordance with the invention is described inconnection with a “snowdeck” for use on snow, the sliding device may beused on other surfaces, such as ice, sand, plastic, metal, and so on.

[0015] In one embodiment, the snowdeck has a bi-level design such thatthe rider stands in an upright position on a deck that is verticallyspaced from, and attached to, a sliding portion, or runner, thatcontacts the sliding surface. Thus, for example, the snowdeck may beturned on the sliding surface, such as a snow-covered slope, by tiltingthe deck with the feet, somewhat similar to that in skateboarding. Thedeck can be tilted and the snowdeck steered by the rider shifting weightbetween her toes and heels on the deck. By tilting the snowdeck to oneside or the other, the rider can cause the deck and attached runner topivot about an edge and execute a turn like that in skiing andsnowboarding. However, because the deck is vertically spaced from therunner, the rider can tilt the snowdeck without requiring bindings thatsecure the rider's feet to the deck. In one embodiment, the snowdeck isarranged to allow riding in either direction. That is, the snowdeck maynot necessarily have a defined front or back end, but instead mayprovide the same or similar riding characteristics when ridden in eitherdirection. This feature may be especially useful in trick riding.

[0016] In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, the deck iswider than the runner, thereby providing additional leverage for therider's feet to tilt the snowdeck. For example, the runner may be madeapproximately 0.4 to 0.8 times the width of the deck, or more preferablyapproximately 0.45 to 0.6 times the width of the deck, and the runnermay be attached to the deck so that it is laterally centered under thedeck. The lower surface of the runner may also be vertically spaced aminimum distance of approximately 1 to 8.375 inches from an uppersurface of the deck. Thus, approximately {fraction (3/10)} to {fraction(1/10)} of the width of the deck may laterally overhang each edge of therunner. The laterally overhanging portions of the deck provide a surfacefor the rider's toes or heels to apply force to tilt the snowdeck. Sincethe tilting force may be applied at these overhanging areas, the rideris provided with additional leverage to tilt the snowdeck than would beprovided if the deck were made the same width, or smaller width, thanthe underlying runner.

[0017] In another illustrative embodiment, the upper surface of the deckmay have uplifted portions at or near the lateral edges so that the deckpresents a concave area on which the rider can stand. For example, thelateral edges of the deck may be stepped, curved or otherwise upliftedcompared to the center portion of the deck to form a shallow bowl-likeshape. This concavity of the deck may provide better leverage for therider in tilting the snowdeck, since the rider can more easily anddirectly transfer weight to the edges using the heels and toes, or helpto keep the rider's feet on the deck 1. Alternately, or in addition tothe concave upper surface, the deck may have a convex undersurface sothat the side edges of the deck are uplifted away from the slidingsurface. This arrangement may allow for more aggressive turning atsteeper tilt angles of the snowdeck, since the uplifted side edges ofthe deck allow greater tilting before the edges contact the slidingsurface and prevent further tilting of the snowdeck. In another aspectof the invention, the upper surface of the deck may be arranged tofacilitate gripping by the rider's boots or other footwear. In oneillustrative embodiment, some or all of the upper surface of the deckincludes a soft cover material, such as a closed cell foam. The foam maycover the entire deck surface, and has been found to provide a goodgripping surface for a rider's feet. That is, it has been found that arider's feet are more likely to stay in place on the deck when the deckis covered with a soft foam or other gripping-type material orstructures (treads, rubber, etc.).

[0018] In another aspect of the invention, the placement of spacers orother elements that separate the runner from the deck may be importantto the performance of the snowdeck. For example, the spacers may bearranged so that the runner and/or the deck has a desired flexibility orrange of movement at the ends or in a mid-region between the spacers. Inone embodiment, the spacers are placed inward from either end of thesnowdeck a distance of approximately ⅕ to ½ of the entire length of thesnowdeck. For example, although the length of the snowdeck (i.e., thelength of either the deck or runner) may vary between approximately 25and 72 inches, if the snowdeck has an approximate overall length of 32inches, spacers may be located at approximately 6.4 to 16 inches fromeither end of the snowdeck. In another embodiment, the spacers areplaced longitudinally apart up to approximately one-half of the totallength of the snowdeck. Proper positioning of the spacers may beimportant, as in some embodiments it is preferable to allow the runnerto flex in its mid-region to allow better turning capability and/orprovide a smoother ride over rough surfaces. In some embodiments it isalso important to allow the ends of the runner to flex relatively freelyof the deck. This flexibility of the ends also provides improved turningability and a smooth ride.

[0019] In one aspect of the invention, the spacers may interconnect thedeck and the runner so that a portion of the deck near an attachmentpoint with a spacer cannot pivot around a longitudinal axis of thesnowdeck relative to a runner portion near an attachment point with thesame spacer. Thus, for example, when a rider exerts a tilting force onone of the lateral edges of the deck, the deck may not pivot around alongitudinal axis of the deck to any great extent compared to therunner. Such a rigid attachment between the deck and the runner canprovide for a more responsive snowdeck, since movements of the rider'sfeet are more directly transferred to the runner than if a more flexibleconnection is made between the deck and runner. In one embodiment, therunner may be secured to a spacer so that relative pivoting of therunner and deck around a longitudinal axis is prevented, but the runneris allowed to slide longitudinally relative to the deck, and/or allowedto move toward the deck (i.e., so that the distance between the deck andthe runner is decreased). Such an attachment still provides theresponsiveness of a rigid attachment while allowing greater flexing ofthe runner, e.g., in the runner mid-section between spacers, orproviding a shock absorbing function.

[0020] In one illustrative embodiment, the deck and/or runner may bearranged so that ends of the runner can flex under normal ridingconditions without contacting the deck. For example, in one embodiment,at least one end of the runner may extend beyond a corresponding end ofthe deck so that the runner end can flex further upwards toward the deckwithout contacting the deck. In an embodiment that can be ridden in bothdirections, i.e., a snowdeck that has upturned portions at both ends ofthe runner, the deck may be made shorter than the runner so thatupturned portions of the runner extend past respective ends of the deck.As a result, the runner ends may be able to flex a greater distancetoward the deck without touching the deck than would otherwise bepossible if the deck ends extended past the runner ends. Avoidingcontact between the runner ends and the deck may provide a smoother andmore stable ride since contact between the flexing runner ends and thedeck may result in a direct transfer of shock between the runner end andthe deck, upsetting the rider's feet on the deck. In contrast, thefreely flexing ends or mid-portion of the runner can absorb shocks andsmooth the force transfer between the runner and the deck. Alternately,or in combination with having runner ends that extend past the ends ofthe deck, the ends of the deck may be upturned away from the runnerends. By upturning the ends of the deck, the runner ends may have agreater range of bending movement, thereby avoiding contact between therunner ends and the deck during normal riding conditions. However, insome embodiments, although the runner ends and deck are arranged so thatthe runner ends do not contact the deck during normal riding conditions,the snowdeck may be arranged so that at least one of the runner ends maycontact the deck when one end of the deck is heavily weighted, e.g.,when a rider stands on one end of the deck with most or all of therider's weight. Contact between the runner end and the deck in such acondition may make certain maneuvers, such as one commonly known as an“ollie”, possible or more easily performed.

[0021] FIGS. 1-5 show an illustrative embodiment that incorporates manyaspects of the invention. As can be seen in FIG. 1, this illustrativeembodiment includes a deck 1 that is attached to a lower slidingportion, or runner 3, by spacers 2. The deck 1 may be covered, at leastpartially, by a foam 11 or other grip enhancing material. The foam 11may be a relatively soft closed cell foam or other material that helpskeep a rider's feet in place on the deck 1. The foam 11 may also includeother features, such as a sticky adhesive, to help keep the rider's feeton the deck 1. Although in this illustrative embodiment the snowdeckdoes not include bindings or any other suitable device to physicallyattach one or more of the rider's feet to the deck 1, bindings, strapsor other devices may be used to securely fasten the rider's feet. Thesnowdeck may also include a leash, tether, rigid handle (similar to thaton a scooter) (not shown) attached to the deck 1 or other portion of thesnowdeck. The rider may hold the leash, handle or other device to helpmaintain balance on the snowdeck or to pull the snowdeck while walking.Alternately, the deck 1 may not include any additional features to helpkeep a rider's feet on the deck 1, i.e., no foam 11, bindings, handle,leash, skid-resistant material, sticky adhesive, etc.

[0022] Although the deck 1 and the runner 3 may be secured to each otherin any suitable way, the exploded view of the illustrative embodiment inFIG. 2 shows the rigid attachment between the deck 1 and the runner 3 inaccordance with one aspect of the invention. The deck 1 is secured tothe runner 3 by bolts 4 that extend through holes 11 in the deck 1 andholes 21 in the spacers 2 to engage with the runner 3 at holes 31.Threads on the bolts 4 may engage with a threaded insert, nut or otherfeature (not shown) at the holes 31 and be tightened to securely holdthe spacers 2 between the deck 1 and the runner 3. The bolt 4 and spacer2 arrangement may be formed to accommodate different decks 1 so that arider may remove one deck 1 from the snowdeck to replace it withanother. Further, the deck 1 and runner 3 may be attached usingtool-free devices to allow quick adjustment of the attachment betweenthe deck 1 and runner 3.

[0023] In this illustrative embodiment, the snowdeck includes twospacers 2 that have an approximately rectangular cross-sectional shapeand are rigid throughout. The spacers 2 are located near opposite endsof the runner 3 and secure the deck 1 and runner 3 together so that aportion of the deck 1 near an attachment point with a spacer, e.g., aportion near a hole 11, cannot pivot around a longitudinal axis relativeto a portion of the runner 3 attached to the same spacer 2, e.g., arunner portion near a hole 31. That is, although the ends andmid-section of the deck 1 and/or runner 3 may flex or pivot relative tothe other, portions of the deck 1 are attached so that at least theportions near attachment points with the spacers 2 may not freely pivotrelative to portions on the runner 3 near an attachment point with thesame spacer 2. This rigid attachment between the deck 1 and runner 3 mayprovide a responsive snowdeck since force on the deck 1 can be moredirectly transferred to the runner 3.

[0024] It should be understood that the arrangement for attaching thedeck 1 to the runner 3 is not limited to the standoffs shown in thisillustrative embodiment. For example, the spacers 2 may be made of anysuitable material or combination of materials, such as plastic, wood,metal and so on, and may have any suitable shape, such as square,rectangular, oval, and so on. The spacers 2 may have a height so thatthe deck 1 is approximately evenly spaced from the runner 3 along thelength of the runner 3 between the spacers 2, or may have one end higherthan the other.

[0025] In one aspect of the invention, the spacers 2 may provide a typeof suspension between the deck 1 and the runner 3. The suspension may bespring-biased and/or dampened to provide a smooth ride on roughsurfaces. For example, one or more spacers 2 may include an elastomermaterial, such as a rubberized washer positioned between the spacers 2and the deck 1 or runner 3. The washer or other element may serve toabsorb vibration that might otherwise be transmitted from the runner 3through the spacers 2 to the deck 1. Alternately, a shock dampeningmaterial may be incorporated into the structure of the spacers 2. In oneembodiment, one or more of the spacers 2 may be arranged to allow thedeck 1 and the runner 3 to move toward each other, decreasing thedistance between the deck 1 and the runner 3. For example, a spacer 2may include a spring-biased hinge having an axis of rotationperpendicular to the length of the snowdeck such that one portion of thehinge attached to the deck 1 may rotate relative to another portion ofthe hinge attached to the runner 3. Relative rotation of the hingeportions may allow the deck 1 and the runner 3 to move toward and awayfrom each other, and/or allow the deck 1 or runner 3 to movelongitudinally relative to the other. Bias on the hinge, e.g., to movethe deck 1 and runner 3 away from each other to a starting separationdistance, may be provided by a metallic coil or leaf spring, elastomermaterial or other suitable material or device. Of course, it should beunderstood that the hinge is only one illustrative example. Otherarrangements for allowing movement of the deck 1 and runner 3 towardeach other, relative rotation of the deck 1 or runner 3 about an axisperpendicular to the length of the snowdeck, and/or longitudinalmovement of the deck 1 or runner 3 relative to each other will occur tothose of skill in the art. For example, the spacers 2 may be made of aresilient material that allows such movement or rotation, whilepreventing relative pivoting of the deck 1 and the runner 3 around alongitudinal axis. Thus, the suspension function described above isprovided by the spacers 2 while still maintaining a rigid attachmentbetween the deck 1 and runner 3 so that portions of the two may notpivot relative to each other about a longitudinal axis.

[0026] As further alternate arrangements, the two spacers 2 may bereplaced with a single spacer 2, e.g., the single spacer may provide asuitably rigid attachment between the deck 1 and runner 3 while allowingdesired flexibility of portions of the runner 3 at the ends and/or at amid-region of the runner 3. Alternately, each spacer 2 may be dividedinto two spacers 2 so that pairs of spacers 2 are used at or near eachend of the runner 3, e.g., one spacer 2 for each bolt 4. Further, thespacers 2 may be molded as part of the deck 1 and/or the runner 3,(e.g., the snowdeck, or a portion of the snowdeck, may be molded orotherwise formed as a single unitary structure), the deck 1, spacers 2and runner 3 may be attached by an adhesive, welding, screws, rivets orany other suitable means, and so on. In short, any structure may be usedto secure the deck 1 and the runner 3 together in a vertically displacedway and so that the relative rotational stiffness or rigidity of theconnection between the deck 1 and the runner 3 is maintained.

[0027] The side view of the illustrative embodiment in FIG. 3 shows theupturned portions at both ends of the runner 3. Having upturned portionsat both ends of the runner 3 allows the snowdeck to be ridden in bothdirections. Thus, the snowdeck may not necessarily have any definedfront or back, but instead may be symmetrical so that both ends of thesnowdeck are arranged in a substantially similar way. However, inalternate embodiments that incorporate other aspects of the invention,this bi-directional arrangement of the illustrative embodiment is notrequired as the snowdeck may have defined front and back portions. Forexample, a front portion of the runner 3 may have a somewhat moreupturned portion than a back portion of the runner 3, which may have noupturned portion whatsoever. Front and back portions of the snowdeck maybe defined by other features, such as the way bindings, kick blocks orother features secured to the deck 1, e.g., at upturned portions of thedeck 1, or other.

[0028]FIG. 3 shows that the spacers 2 are positioned at a distance dfrom a respective end of the runner 3. The spacers 2 may be placed at adistance d that is approximately ⅕ to ½ of the entire length l of therunner 3 to provide suitable riding characteristics. (When the spacers 2are placed at a distance approximately ½ the entire length l of therunner 3, i.e., the center of the runner 3, a single spacer 2 may beused to attach the deck 1 and the runner 3 together.) Placing thespacers 2 a minimum distance of approximately ⅕ of the length l of therunner 3 can be useful for providing a rider with sufficient leverageand flexibility of the runner ends to lift and turn a front or back endof the snowdeck during riding. For example, the rider may place weighton one end of the deck 1 to flex the underlying runner end and lever theopposite end of the runner 3 upward. The inventors have found that, inone embodiment, positioning the spacers 2 at a distance d that isapproximately one quarter of the entire length l of the runner 3 (orpositioning the spacers 2 apart at a distance approximately equal toone-half of the entire length l of the runner 3) provides the desiredflex of the runner 3 at both a central portion of the runner 3 betweenthe spacers 2 and at the ends of the runner 3 as well as proper leveragefor turning. As discussed above, proper flex of the middle and ends ofthe runner 3 may be desired in certain embodiments to allow a smooth andstable ride and/or provide better turning capability. For example, arunner 3 having a freely flexing central portion and ends may absorb theshock of bumps and other rough surfaces, as well as allow the runner tocurve when executing a relatively tight radius turn. Although in thisillustrative embodiment the spacers 2 are preferably placed at adistance d from the ends of the runner 3 that is one-quarter of thelength l of the runner 3, other fractions of the length l of the runner3 may be used as discussed above and may depend on the stiffness orother properties of the runner 3 or the deck 1. In addition, although inthis embodiment the spacers 2 are positioned at approximately a samedistance d from the ends of the runner 3, the spacers 2 may bepositioned at different distances. In short, any suitable placement ofthe spacers 2 that provides desired flexibility of the runner 3 ends andcentral portion may be used.

[0029]FIG. 3 also illustrates another aspect of the invention, namelythat the snowdeck is arranged so that the ends of the runner tend to notcontact the deck when flexing during normal riding conditions. Forexample, in this embodiment, at least one of the ends of the runner 3extends past the corresponding end of the deck 1. In this illustrativeembodiment, since both ends of the runner 3 extend past a correspondingend of the deck 1, the overall length l of the runner 3 is greater thanthe overall length L of the deck 1. This feature of an end of the runner3 extending past a corresponding end of the deck 1 gives the runner enda greater range through which it can bend without contacting the deck 1.For example, if the ends of the deck 1 extended past the ends of therunner 3, the tip of the upturned portions of the runner 3 would bepositioned closer to the deck 1, thus limiting the range of flex of therunner end. Such an arrangement may make for a rough riding snowdeck,since the runner ends may be found to more frequently contact the deck 1during riding. This may be countered by increasing the height h (seeFIG. 4) of the spacers 2, but increasing the vertical separation betweenthe lower surface 33 of the runner 3 and the upper surface 13 of thedeck 1 may also make the snowdeck more unstable, e.g., by raising thesnowdeck's center of gravity. As a result, extending the runner endsbeyond the ends of the deck 1 can provide a stable snowdeck in which therunner ends have an improved range of movement. Of course, it should beunderstood that the runner 3 need not be longer than the deck 1, as thisaspect of the invention need not be used with other aspects of theinvention.

[0030] Another aspect of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 is that theends of the deck 1 are upturned away from the ends of the runner 3. Thisfeature may be used in combination with extending the runner ends pastthe ends of the deck 1, or in an arrangement in which one or both of therunner ends do not extend past a corresponding end of the deck 1. Thatis, the upturned ends on the deck 1 also serve to increase the distancebetween the upturned portions of the runner 3 and the deck 1, thusincreasing the flex range of the runner ends. Upturned ends on the deck1 may also have other benefits, such as allowing a rider to feel theends of the deck 1 and keep the rider's feet on the deck 1, as well asallowing the rider to lever the snowdeck around a lateral axis. Forexample, the rider may be able to place a foot on a rear upturnedportion and, by placing weight on the rear foot, raise the front end ofthe snowdeck.

[0031] A cross-sectional view of the snowdeck along the line 4-4 isshown in FIG. 4. One aspect of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 isthe deck 1 has uplifted lateral edges 12. That is, in this illustrativeembodiment, the deck 1 has a concave upper surface on which the riderstands. These upturned edges 12 may make the snowdeck more responsivewhen the rider initiates a turn because the rider may be able to morequickly transfer weight from a heel or toe to one of the upturnedlateral edges 12. In addition, the concave upper surface may help keep arider's feet in place on the deck 1. Although in this embodiment thelateral edges 12 are uplifted along the mid-section of the deck 1 andterminate near where the ends of the deck 1 begin to turn upward, thelateral edges 12 may be uplifted along the entire length L of the deck1, or only along selected portions. Also, although in this embodimentthe lateral edges 12 gradually curve upward, the uplifted edges 12 maybe formed by one or more steps or an angled slope.

[0032] Another aspect of the invention shown in this illustrativeembodiment is that the deck 1 has a convex lower surface that causes theedges 12 of the deck 1 to be positioned vertically further away at aheight H from the lower surface 33 of the runner 3 than a centralportion of the upper surface 13 of the deck 1 that is attached to thespacers 2. As a result, a rider may be able to execute more aggressiveturns because of the snowdeck's ability to tilt at a steep angle withouttouching one of the lateral edges 12 to the sliding surface. Forexample, when executing a turn, a rider will tilt the snowdeck to pivotaround one of the edges 32 on the runner 3. Since the bottom surface ofthe deck 1 curves upwardly away from the runner 3, the snowdeck maytilt, i.e., pivot about one of the edges 32, at a more steep angle thanwould be possible if the bottom of the deck 1 was not curved or upliftednear the edges 12. Although in this embodiment the bottom surface of thedeck 1 has a smoothly curving surface, the edges 12 may be uplifted fromthe runner 3 in other ways. For example, the bottom surface of the deck1 may be stepped or have angular portions to form the convex surface.

[0033] Although in this illustrative embodiment the deck 1 has a concaveupper surface and a convex lower surface, both of these aspects of theinvention need not be combined in the deck 1. For example, the deck 1may have a flat upper surface and a convex lower surface, or a convexupper surface and a flat lower surface.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 4 is that the deck1 is arranged to allow greater tilting before the edges 12 of the deck 1contact the sliding surface. That is, an angle α formed between theplane of the lower surface 33 of the runner 3 and a line extendingbetween an edge 32 of the runner 3 and an edge 12 of the deck 1 may beapproximately 30 and 70 degrees. This angle α may be adjusted based onthe vertical separation of the upper surface 13 of the deck 1 and thelower surface 33 of the runner 3, the relative widths w and W of therunner 3 and the deck 1, the uplift of the lateral edges 12, and/orother features. In this illustrative embodiment, the vertical separationbetween the upper surface 13 of the deck 1 and the lower surface 33 ofthe runner 3 may be controlled by the height h of the spacers 2. Theheight h of the spacers 2 may be approximately 0.375 to 8 inches, wherethe runner 3 has a thickness of approximately 0.25 inches and the deck 1has a thickness of approximately 0.375 inches at the attachment pointwith the spacers 2. Thus, the minimum vertical spacing between the lowersurface 33 of the runner 3 and the upper surface 13 of the deck 1 nearattachment points to the spacers 2 can be approximately 1 inch to 8.375inches, and more preferably approximately 1.75 and 4 inches. Theinventors have found that vertical spacings outside of the 1 to 8.375inch range, and in some cases outside of the 1.75 to 4 inch range (e.g.,depending on the width ratio of the deck 1 and runner 3 discussedbelow), either result in a snowdeck that does not have propermaneuvering capabilities or one that is too unstable, i.e., prone touncontrollable tilting.

[0035] Another aspect of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 is that thewidth w of the runner 3 is less than the width W of the deck 1. Althoughthe widths w and W of the runner 3 and the deck 1 may vary along thelength of the snowdeck, in general, the ratio of w:W is approximately0.4 to 0.8, and more preferably approximately 0.45 to 0.6. It has beenfound that these ratios between the widths w and W provides goodleverage for the rider to maneuver the snowdeck, while also providing astable ride, e.g., the snowdeck is not prone to uncontrolled tilting.The width w of the runner 3 may be approximately 3.5 to 12 inches, andthe width W of the deck 1 may be approximately 7 to 15 inches. Ingeneral, the ratio of the widths w and W may be increased as the heighth of the spacers 2 (or other measure of the vertical separation of theupper surface 13 of the deck 1 and the lower surface 33 of the runner 3)increases. That is, if the deck 1 and runner 3 are separated by arelatively large distance, the ratio of the widths w:W may be increasedto provide stability to the snowdeck, and vice versa. For example, ifthe separation of the upper surface 13 and the lower surface 33 iswithin the lower end of the 1 to 8.375 inch range, e.g., 1 to 4 inches,the ratio of w:W is preferably within the lower end of the 0.4 to 0.8range, e.g., 0.4 to 0.6. On the other hand, if the separation of theupper surface 13 of the deck 1 and the lower surface 33 of the runner 3is at the upper end of the 1 to 8.375 range, e.g., 4 to 8.375 inches,the ratio of w:W is preferably within the upper end of the 0.4 to 0.8range, e.g., 0.6 to 0.8. It should be understood, however, that thisaspect of the invention need not be combined with embodiments thatincorporate other aspects of the invention.

[0036] As may be appreciated by the discussions above, the relativesizes of the different portions of the snowdeck may be important to theperformance of the snowdeck. For example, in one aspect of theinvention, it has been found that an overall length l of the runner 3 ofapproximately 32.5 inches, a length L of the deck 1 of approximately 32inches, a distance d of approximately 8 inches, a height h of thespacers 2 of approximately 0.5 inches (given approximately the samethicknesses for the deck 1 and runner 3 mentioned above), a height Hfrom a bottom of the runner 3 to the lateral edges 12 of approximately1.5 inches, a width w of the runner 3 of approximately 4.5 inches and awidth W of the deck 1 of approximately 8.5 inches provide a snowdeckhaving excellent handling and trick performance. Of course, the sizes ofthe different portions of the snowdeck may be varied from thisillustrative embodiment, but in some embodiments it will be desirable tomaintain approximately the same ratios between at least some of thesizes as that in this illustrative embodiment. For example, in someembodiments, the ratio of the widths w and W and the ratio of the widthw to the height h may be important to maintain.

[0037]FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the snowdeck. In this view of theillustrative embodiment, it can be seen that the runner 3 has someamount of sidecut, i.e., the edges 32 of the runner 3 are concave. Thisaspect of the invention provides for more responsive turning in thesnowdeck because as a rider tilts the snowdeck up onto one of the edges32, the sidecut of the edge 32 causes the snowdeck to more easily trackin a curved direction. A balance may also be made between the amount ofsidecut of the runner 3 and the flexibility of the runner 3 at itscentral region between the spacers 2 and/or at the runner ends. Althougha sidecut runner 3 may be used in a preferred embodiment, the runner 3may be made to have little or no sidecut.

[0038] The deck 1 is also shown in FIG. 5 as having a roughly ellipticalshape with approximately straight lateral edges 12. It should beunderstood, however, that the deck 1 may have some degree of sidecut,e.g., the deck 1 may be more narrow near the middle than at the ends, sothat a rider is provided with less leverage to tilt the snowdeck nearthe middle as compared to at the ends of the deck 1. Other shapes forthe deck 1 will occur to those of skill in the art.

[0039]FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of an alternate attachment arrangementbetween a runner 3 and a spacer 2. In this illustrative embodiment, therunner 3 has holes 31 that are formed as longitudinally extending slots.Thus, bolts 4 that extend through the holes 31 and engage with nuts 41allow the runner 3 to slide longitudinally along the direction shown bythe double headed arrow in FIG. 6 relative to the deck 1 (not shown)during riding. Such an attachment arrangement may prevent any pivotingof the deck 1 about a longitudinal axis relative to the runner 3, butallow the runner 3 to slide longitudinally relative to the deck 1.Sliding of the runner 3 may allow a central portion of the runner 3between spacers 2 at opposite ends of the runner 3 to have greaterflexibility and improve the performance of the snowdeck during riding.Although the attachment arrangement of FIG. 6 may be used at all spacer2 locations, the attachment arrangement may be used at a spacer locationat one end of the runner 3, while an attachment arrangement in whichsliding of the runner 3 is prevented is used at the other end of therunner 3. It should be understood that the slots may extend laterallyrather than longitudinally. Moreover, regardless of the direction inwhich they extend, the slots may allow for adjustment of the position ofthe spacers 2 on the snowdeck. For example, the deck 1 and runner 3 mayhave longitudinally extending slots for the holes 11 and 31 so that arider can adjust the spacer 2 location, e.g., by loosening the bolts 4,moving the spacers 2 to a desired location and again tightening thebolts 4 to tune the snowdeck response for specific riding conditions orperformance characteristics. Thus, the slots may not necessarily allowthe runner 3 to slide longitudinally relative to the deck 1 duringriding, but rather allow the spacer position to be adjusted and thenlocked in position for riding.

[0040] As mentioned above, the various portions of the snowdeck may bemade using any suitable techniques, materials or processes. For example,the deck 1 may be made of wood, metal, plastic, a laminate or acomposite material, such as plywood, or other, and may be constructed inmuch the same way as a typical skateboard deck.

[0041] The runner 3 may be made in a way similar to typical skis orsnowboards and have metal edges 32, a plastic base material, vertical orhorizontal wood laminate core or foam core material, and so on. Anexemplary runner 3 would include a vertical laminate wood coresurrounded by one or more layers of fiber laminate for torsionalcontrol. A sintered, extruded or graphite base is provided on the snowcontacting surface of the runner 3 while a plastic, preferably opaque,top sheet for protecting the core and laminate from abrasion and fromexposure to ultraviolet light is arranged on the opposite surface.Sidewall, cap or mixed sidewall/cap construction may be employed toprotect the core. Stainless steel edges may be included to enhance edgegrip. The runner 3 may be arranged with a fully distinct nose and tailfor directional riding or, instead, with identical shaped tips (and flexpatterns) at both ends for matched riding with either the tip or tailforward. The runner 3 may have a sidecut for ease of turning the slidingdevice. Preferably, the nose and tail will be upturned in a shovelarrangement.

[0042] In addition, the snowdeck may be made as a single molded article,e.g., the deck 1, spacers 2 and runner 3 may be made together as asingle integral unit. Alternately, portions of the snowdeck may be madeas a single integral unit, e.g., the deck 1 and the spacers 2 may beformed as an integral unit that is attached to a runner 3.

[0043] While the invention has been described in conjunction withspecific embodiments thereof, many alternatives, modifications, andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,embodiments as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative of thevarious aspects of the invention, not limiting. Various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A sliding device for supporting a rider when sliding on a surface,comprising: a runner having first and second upturned ends and a middleportion between the upturned ends; a deck elevated from the runner, thedeck having an upper surface that supports a rider and a longitudinalaxis; and a spacer secured to the runner at a runner attachment positionand secured to the deck at a deck attachment position so that forcesapplied by a rider on the deck are transmitted to the runner, and sothat a portion of the deck near the deck attachment position is not freeto pivot about the longitudinal axis relative to a portion of the runnerat the runner attachment position; wherein the runner and the deck areconstructed and arranged to allow riding with both the first upturnedend of the runner forward and the second upturned end of the runnerforward.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the runner and deck areconstructed and arranged to provide equivalent riding performance withthe first runner end forward and the second runner end forward.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the deck includes aportion that is concave in an edge-to-edge direction.
 4. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the deck includes upturned longitudinal ends.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the deck includes uplifted lateral edges thatare positioned vertically farther away from the runner than a centralportion of the deck.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein an angle formedbetween a plane of a bottom surface of the runner and a line extendingbetween a lower edge of the runner and a lateral edge of the deck isbetween 30 and 70 degrees.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the uppersurface of the deck is arranged for a gripping surface.
 8. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising a foam material secured to at least oneportion of the upper surface of the deck.
 9. The device of claim 1,comprising first and second spacers, wherein the runner has an overalllength and the first spacer is positioned longitudinally inward from thefirst upturned end of the runner at a distance equal to approximatelyone-fifth to one-half of the overall length, and the second spacer ispositioned longitudinally inward from the second upturned end of therunner at a distance equal to approximately one-fifth to one-half of theoverall length.
 10. The device of claim 1, comprising first and secondspacers, wherein the first spacer is positioned nearer the firstupturned end of the runner and a second spacer is positioned nearer asecond upturned end of the runner, wherein the runner has an overalllength and the first and second spacers are separated longitudinally bya distance equal to approximately zero to three-fifths the overalllength of the runner.
 11. The device of claim 1, comprising two spacers,wherein the two spacers are longitudinally separated from each other andattach the runner and the deck together, and a portion of the runnerbetween the spacers is free to flex relative to the deck.
 12. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the first and second upturned ends of the runner arefree to move relative to the deck.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein atleast one of the first and second upturned ends of the runner extendsbeyond a corresponding end of the deck.
 14. The device of claim 1,wherein the runner is longer than the deck and the first and secondupturned ends of the runner extend beyond corresponding ends of thedeck.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first and second upturnedends are free to move relative to the deck.
 16. The device of claim 1,wherein the runner has a width that is approximately 0.4 to 0.8 times awidth of the deck, and the deck has a width between 7 and 15 inches. 17.The device of claim 1, wherein a minimum spacing between the uppersurface of the deck and a lower surface of the runner is approximately 1to 8.375 inches.
 18. The device of claim 1, wherein the runner has asidecut.
 19. The device of claim 1, comprising two spacers that arelongitudinally displaced and have a same height, wherein the runner andthe deck are secured together by the two longitudinally displacedspacers.
 20. The device of claim 1, wherein the runner is equally spacedvertically from the deck along the middle portion of the runner.
 21. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the spacer is constructed and arranged toallow one of movement of the deck and runner to decrease in a distancebetween a lower surface of the runner near the runner attachmentposition and the upper surface of the deck near the deck attachmentposition, relative rotation of the deck and runner about an axisperpendicular to a longitudinal axis, and relative longitudinal movementof the deck and runner.
 22. The device of claim 1, wherein at least oneof the deck and the runner are directly secured to the spacer.
 23. Asliding device for supporting a rider when sliding on a surface,comprising: a runner having first and second upturned ends and a middleportion between the upturned ends; a deck elevated from the runner, thedeck having an upper surface that supports a rider; and two spacerssecured to the runner at longitudinally displaced runner attachmentpositions and secured to the deck at longitudinally displaced deckattachment positions so that forces applied by a rider on the deck aretransmitted to the runner, and so that a portion of the deck near a deckattachment position corresponding to a first spacer is not free to pivotabout a longitudinal axis relative to a portion of the runner at arunner attachment position corresponding to the first spacer; whereinthe first and second upturned ends of the runner are free to moverelative to the deck.
 24. The device of claim 23, wherein the runner anddeck are constructed and arranged to provide equivalent ridingperformance with the first runner end forward and the second runner endforward.
 25. The device of claim 23, wherein the upper surface of thedeck includes a portion that is concave in an edge-to-edge direction.26. The device of claim 23, wherein the deck includes upturnedlongitudinal ends.
 27. The device of claim 23, wherein the deck includesuplifted lateral edges that are positioned vertically farther away fromthe runner than a central portion of the deck.
 28. The device of claim23, wherein an angle formed between a plane of a bottom surface of therunner and a line extending between a lower edge of the runner and alateral edge of the deck is between 30 and 70 degrees.
 29. The device ofclaim 23, wherein the upper surface of the deck is arranged for agripping surface.
 30. The device of claim 23, further comprising a foammaterial secured to at least one portion of the upper surface of thedeck.
 31. The device of claim 23, comprising first and second spacers,wherein the runner has an overall length and the first spacer ispositioned longitudinally inward from the first upturned end of therunner at a distance equal to approximately one-fifth to one-half of theoverall length, and the second spacer is positioned longitudinallyinward from the second upturned end of the runner at a distance equal toapproximately one-fifth to one-half of the overall length.
 32. Thedevice of claim 23, comprising first and second spacers, wherein thefirst spacer is positioned nearer the first upturned end of the runnerand a second spacer is positioned nearer a second upturned end of therunner, wherein the runner has an overall length and the first andsecond spacers are separated longitudinally by a distance equal toapproximately zero to three-fifths the overall length of the runner. 33.The device of claim 23, wherein a portion of the runner between thespacers is free to flex relative to the deck.
 34. The device of claim23, wherein the first and second upturned ends of the runner are free tomove relative to the deck.
 35. The device of claim 23, wherein at leastone of the first and second upturned ends of the runner extends beyond acorresponding end of the deck.
 36. The device of claim 23, wherein therunner is longer than the deck and the first and second upturned ends ofthe runner extend beyond corresponding ends of the deck.
 37. The deviceof claim 36, wherein the first and second upturned ends are free to moverelative to the deck.
 38. The device of claim 23, wherein the runner hasa width that is approximately 0.4 to 0.8 times a width of the deck, andthe deck has a width of approximately 7 and 15 inches.
 39. The device ofclaim 23, wherein a minimum spacing between the upper surface of thedeck and a lower surface of the runner is approximately 1 to 8.375inches.
 40. The device of claim 23, wherein the runner has a sidecut.41. The device of claim 23, wherein the two spacers have a same height.42. The device of claim 23, wherein the runner is equally spacedvertically from the deck along the middle portion of the runner.
 43. Thedevice of claim 23, wherein one of the runner and the deck has a lengthof approximately 25 and 72 inches.
 44. The device of claim 23, whereinat least one of the spacers is constructed and arranged to allow one ofmovement of the deck and runner toward each other to decrease a distancebetween a lower surface of the runner near a runner attachment positionand the upper surface of the deck near a deck attachment position,relative rotation of the deck and runner about an axis perpendicular toa longitudinal axis, and relative longitudinal movement of the deck andrunner.
 45. The device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the deck andthe runner are directly secured to the spacers.
 46. A sliding device forsupporting a rider when sliding on a surface, comprising: a runnerhaving at least one upturned end and a middle portion; a deck elevatedfrom the runner, the deck having an upper surface that supports a rider;and a spacer secured to the runner at a runner attachment position andsecured to the deck at a deck attachment position so that forces appliedby a rider on the deck are transmitted to the runner; wherein one orboth of the runner and the deck is arranged and mounted to the spacer toallow longitudinal movement of either the runner or the deck relative tothe other.
 47. The device of claim 46, wherein the runner and deck areconstructed and arranged to allow adjustment of the position of thespacer relative to the runner or the deck.
 48. A sliding device forsupporting a rider when sliding on a surface, comprising: a runnerhaving at least one upturned end, a middle portion and a lower surface;a deck elevated from the runner, the deck having an upper surface thatsupports a rider; and a spacer secured to the runner at a runnerattachment position and secured to the deck at a deck attachmentposition so that forces applied by a rider on the deck are transmittedto the runner; wherein a minimum spacing between the upper surface ofthe deck and a lower surface of the runner is approximately 1.75 to 4inches.
 49. A sliding device for supporting a rider when sliding on asurface, comprising: a runner having at least one upturned end, a middleportion and a width; a deck elevated from the runner, the deck having awidth and an upper surface that supports a rider; and a spacer securedto the runner at a runner attachment position and secured to the deck ata deck attachment position so that forces applied by a rider on the deckare transmitted to the runner; wherein a ratio of the width of therunner to the width of the deck is approximately 0.45 to 0.6.
 50. Asliding device for supporting a rider when sliding on a surface,comprising: a runner having at least one upturned end, a middle portionand a lower surface between two lower edges; a deck elevated from therunner, the deck having opposite lateral edges and an upper surface thatsupports a rider; and a spacer secured to the runner at a runnerattachment position and secured to the deck at a deck attachmentposition so that forces applied by a rider on the deck are transmittedto the runner; wherein an angle between a plane parallel to the lowersurface of the runner and a line extending between a lower edge of therunner and a lateral edge of the deck is approximately 30 and 70degrees.
 51. A sliding device for supporting a rider when sliding on asurface, comprising: a runner having first and second ends, a middleportion between the first and second ends and a length; a deck elevatedfrom the runner, the deck having an upper surface that supports a rider;and first and second spacers secured to the runner at respective runnerattachment positions and secured to the deck at respective deckattachment positions so that forces applied by a rider on the deck aretransmitted to the runner; wherein the first spacer is positioned atapproximately one-fifth to one-half the length of the runner from thefirst end and the second spacer is positioned at approximately one-fifthto one-half the length of the runner from the second end.